


The Long Airport Embrace

by GeckoGirl89



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Airports, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Tumblr Post, Confused Danny, Eventual relationship, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Goodbyes, Hugs, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Ohana, POV Alternating, Past Steve/Catherine - Freeform, Past Steve/Lynn, Phone Calls & Telephones, Realizations, Roses, Temporary Separation, The Williams Family Ships It, emotional Steve, everyone ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 10:03:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9435206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoGirl89/pseuds/GeckoGirl89
Summary: Danny didn't understand what was going on with Steve. Danny had left before on short trips to New Jersey, but Steve had seemed perfectly fine with it. Of course, until now, Steve had never actually dropped him off at the airport. Was it possible that this was how Steve always reacted to his departures?





	1. The Hug That Started It All

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this prompt on otp-imagines-cult (http://otp-imagines-cult.tumblr.com/): Imagine your OTP having a really long hug good-bye.
> 
> For the purposes of this story, Steve and Danny are both conveniently single.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny felt regretful. He liked hugging Steve, and he had enjoyed doing it for much longer than they usually would. He didn't want to say this next part, but he had to.
> 
> “Babe, you're gonna have to let go, or I'll miss my flight.”

Danny sighed as he heard the last call for his flight to New Jersey. He needed to get Steve to let go of him if he was going to make his flight.

For some reason, Steve had volunteered to drive him to the airport this time. He had been doing a lot of subtle things like that lately, like when his sister Bridget visited and Steve offered to pick him up from the hotel. Almost as if he was being some kind of old-fashioned gentleman trying to court Danny by “chauffeuring” him around everywhere. Which was a bit strange, because if Steve's version of trying to woo someone involved driving them places and not openly declaring his feelings, then he had been trying to court Danny going on seven years at that point.

Danny shook the thought out of his head. There was no way anyone could be that ridiculous, even Steve. People who pined for someone that long had to think it was hopeless. Danny knew from experience that it was, that someone wouldn't just wake up one day and suddenly feel the same way you did.

But it seemed a lot less hopeless with Steve clinging to him tightly, one hand placed between his shoulder blades and one hand pressed lower, on the middle of Danny's back. It wasn't quite as low as that guy, Spencer, had been touching Bridget, but the placement was still suggestive. Of course, Danny wasn't exactly extricating himself from Steve, and his own arms were wrapped around Steve's shoulders.

Danny sighed. He liked hugging Steve, and he had enjoyed doing it for much longer than they usually would. He didn't want to say this next part, but he had to.

“Babe, you're gonna have to let go, or I'll miss my flight.”

Steve dropped his arms and stepped away. He glanced down at Danny's suitcase, which Danny propped up so that he could wheel it forward, and then stared into Danny's eyes with a sad puppy dog expression.

Jesus Christ, how was he supposed to leave when Steve looked at him like that? “Steve, you know I'm coming back, right? I'm just being brought in to consult on this old case. I'll be back in a week, tops.”

Steve shook his head and shrugged, as if he was embarrassed about something. “I know. I just... I'm gonna miss you, is all.”

Danny didn't understand what was going on with Steve. Danny had left before on short trips to New Jersey, but Steve had seemed perfectly fine with it. Of course, until now, Steve had never actually dropped him off at the airport. Was it possible that this was how Steve always reacted to his departures?

Danny placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. The gesture seemed lacking and pathetic. With the way Steve was looking at him, the insane, irrational part of Danny was telling him to kiss Steve. Which was something Danny was definitely not going to do. He wouldn't jeopardize his friendship like that, and he certainly wouldn't just kiss Steve and leave without talking about it.

“I'm gonna miss you, too. But I'll be back before you know it, okay?”

Steve smiled a little, in that enigmatic way of his. It was the only expression in all of their years together that Danny had never been able to decipher, because the affection that it seemed to show was too much for how Steve probably felt about him.

Or, considering his recent behavior, maybe not. But Danny wouldn't be able to figure out until after this little trip. If he decided to broach the subject, it would require a long, in-person conversation.

“Alright. Bye, Danno.”

Danny plastered on a smile and removed his hand from Steve's shoulder. “Goodbye, Steve.” He turned around, making his way towards his gate and trying to ignore the sensation of Steve's stare burning against his back. When Danny came back home, he would try to determine what was going on with Steve. But for now, as he put his luggage into the overhead bin and settled into his seat with a book, Danny decided to focus on other things.


	2. Conversations in New Jersey Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked out over at the leafless trees and the gray New Jersey winter sky. It wasn't that long ago that Danny had been homesick for this place. When Danny first came to Hawaii, he never thought that he would be back in New Jersey someday and pining for tropical skies, warm weather, palm trees, and most importantly, the people there. But a lot can change in seven years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're still in Danny POV for this chapter (and probably for the next one, as well). This chapter is much longer than the first, and that trend will likely continue in other chapters.

Danny would be staying at his parents' house during his brief stay in New Jersey since it would be cheaper than a hotel and he would only be there for a few days anyway.

During his flight to Newark, he did manage to focus on his book, which was quite long, before his mom and dad greeted him at the airport. After their usual pleasantries, a comfortable lull ensued. During the silence, Danny puzzled over his weird goodbye with Steve at the airport.

His father turned from his position in the passenger side to face Danny. "Are you alright, son? You seem troubled by something."

Danny smiled tightly. "I'm fine, Pop." He wasn't really ready to discuss this with his parents, especially when he wasn't even sure if there was anything to discuss. But Danny's parents were quite skillful at reading his moods, which was a quality he didn't always enjoy.

"It's probably just that case he has to work tomorrow," his mom said. "All those children." She shuddered. "It's so awful."

Danny had been brought back to consult on the gruesome murder of a child that matched the pattern of a serial killer Danny had helped put away ten years ago. The man behind bars, Bill Dennett, had always insisted that he was innocent, but the state had strong evidence that had led to a conviction. With this new crime, Dennett was claiming that he had been falsely imprisoned all along and that the true killer was still out there. His old precinct captain wanted him to review the old case and be available as a consult if this new crime actually was connected to the old murders and was not simply the work of a copycat killer.

That would have been enough to make Danny seem troubled. He had seen a lot of horrible things in his time, but cases involving children were always more difficult.

"You're probably right, Clara." Danny's father turned to look at him. "I don't know how you do it, Daniel."

He shrugged, mildly embarrassed by the proud way his father was looking at him. "Someone has to." He let out a yawn. "Sorry."

"Are you tired, honey?" His mom sounded concerned.

"It's a long flight from Hawaii, and I couldn't get any sleep on the plane."

"Oh, but don't you usually..." His mom cut herself off, pursing her lips as she seemed to recall why Danny wouldn't be able to sleep on a plane anymore. Planes had always bothered Danny a little with his claustrophobia, but he usually caught a nap on his brief trips home regardless since the flight was so long to help him with jet lag from going from Hawaii to New Jersey. But he couldn't sleep on a plane since the incident with Steve last year, when Steve was shot and nearly died. In many ways, that incident still haunted Danny now. He put his hand over the place where the scar from his liver transplant surgery was covered by his shirt.

They were pulling up to a red light, and Danny's mom and dad shared a meaningful glance and looked back at him at the same time. Okay, what the hell was going on with them?

His mom and dad started talking about Stella and her new boyfriend. Normally, Danny would have been an active participant in the conversation, but as exhausted as he was, he simply let their familiar voices drift over him and tried not to fall asleep as he gazed out the window at the familiar sights of New Jersey.

Danny sat up straighter when his mom's car pulled into the driveway. He got out of the car, stretched, and got his suitcase out of the trunk of his mom's car.

When they entered the house, Danny's mom hugged him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You go take a nap. I'll wake you up when dinner is ready."

Danny frowned at his parents. "Are you sure? I don't want to be rude."

His dad grinned. "Son, if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that you never try to argue with your mother." He nudged Danny lightly on the back. "Go on upstairs."

Danny chuckled. "Okay, if you insist." He went upstairs to his childhood bedroom and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

After dinner that night, his mom had insisted that Danny have an early night as soon as he let out another yawn, and Danny complied. He would never admit it out loud, but he appreciated her loving pushiness. He actually wasn't that dissimilar from her in that regard.

It did take him a couple hours to fall asleep that night despite his weariness. That whole odd thing with Steve at the airport ran through his mind over and over again. Steve's inexplicable sadness and reluctance to let go of him, Steve's bizarre embarrassment about saying that he would miss Danny, and, the crux of it, the mysterious smile Steve gave Danny before he left. He tried to analyze the situation backwards and forwards, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. Finally, he told himself to quit being a lovesick idiot and actually get some sleep.

The next day, he managed to only think about Steve, and Steve's strange behavior, for a few minutes during breakfast. At work, he focused on reviewing old case evidence and consulting with the detective investigating the murder that resembled the work of the serial killer. Catching the monster who hurt a child was far too important to let Danny be distracted by anything.

After work, he stepped out onto the front porch of his parents' house and called Rachel so he could spend some time talking to Grace and Charlie while he was away. He had spoken to each of them for a while, and now he was biting his lower lip and hovering over Steve's contact in his phone and thinking about calling him.

It had barely been more than 24 hours since he had last seen Steve. Would it look pathetic and needy to call him now? Probably, but Danny pressed the button anyway. So much for not acting like a lovesick idiot.

Steve answered on the first ring. "Hey, buddy. You miss me already?"

Danny chuckled and tried to ignore the swarm of butterflies gathering in his stomach just from hearing Steve's voice. God, he was ridiculous. "Believe it or not, I can survive without you, you know."

He could hear the grin in Steve's voice. "I know, but that's not what I was asking."

"Yeah, yeah, I miss you." Danny tried to sound nonchalant, and he was grateful that Steve couldn't see the way he was blushing over the phone. He actually did miss Steve, a lot. There was a reason he called Steve just after he called his kids. Danny wanted to direct Steve away from this particular subject. "Anyway, how was your day? Did you blow up the island?"

"Blow up the... no, Danno, c'mon." Steve then proceeded to share some tidbits about his day. Danny laughed as Steve recounted how Kono had dealt with the ridiculous suspect who tried to hit on her during interrogation that morning. Apparently, the suspect had looked terrified and ready to wet his pants after the verbal smackdown Kono delivered. Steve had been about to tell the guy off, but after Kono's response, it took all he had to hold in his laughter until they were out of the interrogation room. He also told an adorable story that Chin had shared from his weekend with Sara. Danny felt a wave of homesickness sweep over him as Steve talked about everyone.

He looked out over at the leafless trees and the gray New Jersey winter sky. It wasn't that long ago that Danny had been homesick for this place. When Danny first came to Hawaii, he never thought that he would be back in New Jersey someday and pining for tropical skies, warm weather, palm trees, and most importantly, the people there. But a lot can change in seven years.

Steve's voice interrupted his melancholy thoughts. "So how about you? How was your day?'

Danny shared some information about the case he had been working on. "Most of my day, I've been looking at old reports and crime scene photos," he said. "It's been pretty boring, actually."

"You saying you would rather 'blow up the island' with me?" Danny could just imagine the ridiculous smirk Steve had on his face right now.

"No, I've just gotten acclimated to your insane behavior, unfortunately. A day in the office seems rather tame by comparison."

Steve chuckled, and the tone in his voice warmed Danny from the inside out. "Sure, Danno. Whatever you need to tell yourself."

Danny shook his head, and his little sister Bridget opened the door behind him. "Hey, Danny, supper's almost ready."

He waved to her, and Steve asked, "Is that your sister?"

"Yeah, she's calling me in for dinner with the family." He had known that Bridget would be stopping by with her husband and her kids for dinner, but he must have missed her arrival while he was talking on the phone.

"Okay, well I guess I better let you go then." Steve sighed, and Danny pictured him having the same sad expression as he did when he left him at the airport. "I miss you, pal."

Danny sighed as well. "I miss you too, babe."

"It's just not the same without you here, y'know?"

Danny gulped. He did know. Danny was looking forward to spending time with his family, but he felt this stupid ache in his gut when he thought about getting off the phone with Steve, similar to how he had felt saying goodbye to Charlie and Grace. Which was nuts because they were his kids, and Steve was his... friend.

He licked his lips. "I know what you mean. I love you, Steve."

"I love you, too." Danny imagined Steve having that little smile on his face again, and he wanted to hug him again. Or kiss him, which was even more crazy. "Bye, Danny."

"Bye, Steve." Danny ended the call and turned to face Bridget, who had an astonished look on her face.

Danny hunched his shoulders defensively. "What?"

Bridget got a huge grin on her face and she shook her head, laughing to herself. "It just all adds up."

"What does?"

Bridget's expression settled into a smirk. "You and Steve. You know, Danny, you could have introduced him to me as your boyfriend and not just your partner." She giggled and walked back into the house.

Danny trailed after her, gaping like a fish. "Steve is not my boyfriend."

"Still in denial, honey?" his mom called from the kitchen.

He couldn't find the words to respond to his mother, and his sister was laughing even more raucously. Danny's father turned from the baseball game he was watching. "What did I miss? What's so funny?"

Before Danny could stop her, Bridget spoke. "Apparently, Danny has a secret boyfriend, but he's doing a really bad job of hiding it."

God, this was ridiculous. Danny felt like he was 15 years old again, and his little sister was teasing him for his huge crush he had on the neighbor girl, Shelley Ann. Except he was 40 years old, so this was even more humiliating.

His dad just nodded, apparently not surprised at all. "Was that who he was talking on the phone with for so long? It must be that Steve guy he talks about all the time, isn't it?"

Bridget's face was turning red from how much she was laughing. Ted, who was always more polite than any of the Williams clan, was pretending to watch TV, but Danny could see him hiding a few snickers behind his hand.

"Okay, first of all, I wasn't spending all of my time out there talking to him. I was talking to Grace and Charlie first. And Steve is not my boyfriend."

Danny's mom appeared from the kitchen. "You two can argue about Danny's not so secret boyfriend later. Lasagna's ready."

Danny's four year-old-nephew Robby raced into the kitchen. "Grandma's lasagna!" Well, at least some people in Danny's family weren't obsessed with his love life and convinced of things that weren't actually true. Even if it only was because they were too young to care about that kind of thing.

The others crowded into the kitchen, and conversation thankfully moved to Ted and Bridget's kids. For at least a short time, Danny and his "secret boyfriend" weren't discussed.

* * *

Shortly after dinner, Ted and Bridget had to take their kids home so they wouldn't miss their regular bedtime.

"Hey, hon, could you put the kids in the car?" Bridget asked Ted. "I want to talk to Danny for a few minutes."

"Sure sweetie." Ted gave her a kiss on the cheek and led their three boys outside.

When the door shut behind Ted, Danny spoke to his little sister. "It looks like things are better with you two."

She smiled out at the view of her husband. "We've started marital counseling. Things have been rough lately, but we want to make it work."

Danny swallowed, briefly remembering how Rachel had wanted to try marital counseling when they were having issues but Danny had resisted the idea. A brief twinge of regret passed through him, but Danny didn't want to dwell on the past. For a while, Danny had been convinced that maybe he and Rachel were never meant to work out anyway.

"That's good."

Bridget turned to Danny with a pensive expression on her face and crossed her arms. "Danny, you were right to call me out about Spencer. Starting something with him would have just made things with me and Ted worse." She sighed. "And I'm really sorry for that shit I said to you in the restaurant. You never abandoned Grace. You moved to frickin' Hawaii for her." She stared down at her feet, which is something she had done since she was a little kid when she was apologizing. "I don't know why I said that. I guess I was just feeling all messed up and guilty, and I lashed out at you, but I shouldn't have."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned, I put all that behind us when we watched _Smokey and the Bandit_ together."

Bridget looked up and laughed. "You're a good brother, Danny. And that reminds me, you were wrong about something that night."

Danny chuckled. "I knew this wave of praise couldn't last."

Bridget shook her head. "That whole thing about you not knowing what you were doing with relationships? You seem to know what you're doing with Steve, even if you won't tell Mom and Dad about it for whatever reason."

"Bridget, he's not my boyfriend, I swear." Danny was starting to hate having to repeat that phrase so often.

Bridget raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then what was the end of that phone call about? I thought you were about to start that whole 'no, _you_ hang up first' routine."

"That was, uh, that was just a normal phone call." It was more sentimental than usual, but not that much, really. Which was kind of weird, now that Danny thought about it.

Apparently Bridget thought so too, because her eyes widened. "So you say 'I love you' to Steve all the time? Danny, you hardly say that to anyone."

Danny pouted. "I say it to you."

"Yeah, and I'm your sister. How often do you say it to people you're not related to?"

Not very often, but Danny didn't need to tell Bridget that. There had been a few rare occasions when he said it to some of the other people in Five-0, but he said it to Steve more than anyone else, over and over again. But those were platonic 'I love yous,' at least on Steve's part.

Bridget held her hands out. "Look, Danny, I saw the way you looked when you were talking to him on the phone, just before I came outside. I haven't seen you that happy in... well, ever, actually. Whatever is going on, I just want you to be happy."

Danny pulled her into a hug. "C'mere, sis. I want you to be happy, too. Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure your husband and kids are waiting for you outside."

Bridget grinned. "I'm glad I got to see you when you came to town this time, Danny. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye, sis."

Bridget waved as she walked outside, and Danny returned the gesture. Danny watched his sister drive away and wondered about the many questions she had left with him. Danny walked inside once he could no longer see the family's SUV on the dark road.


	3. Conversations in New Jersey Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Now, sweetie, I don't mean to pry--"
> 
> "Yes, you do." Danny smirked.
> 
> She rolled her eyes and exhaled before she clasped Danny's hands in hers. "Are you ever planning to tell Steve that you're in love with him?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get Steve's POV and some stuff going on in Hawaii in the next chapter.

A couple of days later, Danny called Kono as he was coming out of work.

She answered after the phone rang a couple of times. "Hey, Danny. It's good you caught me on my lunch break."

"Oh, are you really busy today?"

He could hear something being moved in the background. "Kind of, but I have time to talk now. What's up?"

"I, uh, I was just wondering something." Danny cursed his own hesitancy.

"What is it?" She sounded concerned.

"How's Steve doing?"

"Aww, Danny." He could just picture the teasing grin on her face.

Danny sighed and leaned against the car he was renting while he was here. "Seriously, I was just wondering."

"He's about the same as he always is."

 _Way to be vague, Kono._ "Which is?"

"I don't know, to be honest. You know how the boss likes to play his cards close to the vest. He's quieter and sadder, I guess? And without you around, he does have the tendency to go more reckless Super Seal."

"Says the Super Seal in training."

Kono laughed. "True. But there haven't been that many opportunities for him to get too reckless this time. That's what you were worried about, wasn't it?"

Danny frowned. It should have been what he was worried about, but really, he was more concerned about that "quieter and sadder" thing Kono mentioned.

He coughed. "Uh, yeah, that was it."

"So, did you just call to check in on your husband?"

Danny shook his head. "He's not my husband."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Kono didn't sound like she particularly believed him, but he was certain that Kono was simply participating in their normal banter. It wasn't like that thing with Bridget. He heard a beeping noise and a muttered sound from Kono. "Listen, Danny, I've got to go."

"Okay, I'll let you go back to work."

"See you in a few days."

"Bye."

Kono hung up, and Danny got into his car and started to drive home. The route was starting to become familiar to Danny again, so Danny was able to focus on his thoughts and drive at the same time. His main realization was how different it felt to talk with Kono than it did with Steve. He missed her, of course, but he was comforted by the idea of seeing her in a few days. He was disappointed by the end of the phone call, but mostly because it was so abrupt. With Steve, even if he got the chance to talk to him for hours on end, Danny knew he would get the same aching feeling in his gut when he had to let Steve go.

_That, and the fact that you didn't feel the urge to start hugging or kissing Kono during your phone call. And not just because Adam would deck you._

As Danny pulled into his parents' driveway, the only thing he could conclude was that he was in pretty deep trouble with this Steve thing.

* * *

Later, Danny had called his kids again and had gotten a phone call from Steve as well. He did notice what Kono was talking about, that Steve seemed quieter and sadder than usual. But he seemed to cheer up when Danny informed him that the probable murder weapon for this latest incident had been discovered. After CSU had a chance to look at the weapon, they might be able to trace it back to someone, and that would hopefully help Danny come home soon.

But that sadness seemed to come back when Steve had to go back to work and therefore needed to end the phone call. It came back to Danny, too. This time, Steve was the first one to say I love you. Danny glanced around, and seeing that nobody was spying on him this time, said it back.

Danny walked back into the house and jumped out of his skin when his mom appeared from around the corner of the kitchen. "Jesus, Ma, you practically gave me a heart attack!"

His mother quirked her lips, briefly, but it disappeared rapidly to be replaced with a sympathetic expression. _That can't be good._ "Daniel, I think we need to talk."

"Okay." He followed her over to the couch, trying not to let a million horrible possibilities spin out in his mind. He chuckled nervously. "You know that no good conversation ever starts with that phrase, right?"

His mom sat down and patted the other cushion for Danny to take. "I don't think this conversation will be too bad. Sit."

Danny complied, wondering what his mom wanted to discuss with him.

"Now, sweetie, I don't mean to pry--"

"Yes, you do." Danny smirked.

She rolled her eyes and exhaled before she clasped Danny's hands in hers. "Are you ever planning to tell Steve that you're in love with him?"

Danny's face must have paled significantly, because his mom clutched his hands tighter. "Breathe, honey."

Danny did manage to take in a couple of deep breaths. He pulled his hands away from hers and buried his head in them. "If you want me to breathe, maybe you shouldn't say stuff like that."

"I'm sorry, but it needed to be said."

"No, it really didn't." Danny stood up and began pacing in front of the couch. "Everything is fine. Despite yours or Bridget's or anyone else's weird delusions, Steve isn't my secret boyfriend, and he isn't pining away for me."

"But _you_ are pining away for him. I notice you never denied that you were in love with him."

Danny stilled, staring at his mother for a long moment, who raised an eyebrow and gazed right back at him as if she were daring him to contradict her. Danny couldn't. He collapsed back on the couch, clutching a pillow to his chest.

Danny fidgeted with the pillow. "It doesn't matter, Ma. This is just the way things have to be."

"Why?"

Danny sighed. "He's my best friend, and I can't screw that up by telling him. Things would get messy." Danny huffed out a sarcastic laugh. "That, and the fact that I'm pretty sure he's straight, which is kind of relevant to this situation."

His mom shook her head fondly, in that "you're an idiot, but I love you" way. "So, you're not going to tell Steve how you feel about him because he means too much to you?"

Danny pouted but didn't say anything. When she put it that way, it really did sound stupid.

His mom released a light laugh. "And I'm pretty sure Steve isn't straight. I've seen the way he is around you."

Danny put his hand to his temple and shook his head. "You've been around him for all of five minutes, Ma."

"Five minutes was enough, trust me." She smirked over at Danny. "It takes two people to act like an old married couple, you know."

Danny, knowing that his mother would refuse to see things his way, released a frustrated breath. "I think you're reading way too much into things. And like I said before, I'm fine with the way things are."

She gently placed a hand on his arm. "But are you happy, dear?"

"As happy as I can be," Danny answered honestly. Everything in his life was actually going fairly well right now, minus the persistent unrequited love bullshit.

And if Danny had lately been questioning if the "unrequited" aspect of that was as unrequited as he had always believed, well, he would just keep that to himself for now. He didn't need to give his mother more ammunition than she already had.

His mom let out another sigh. "I guess I'll never be able to convince you. You can be so stubborn sometimes, Daniel."

Danny grinned. "Who do you think I got it from?"

She laughed and stood up, gazing at the clock on the wall opposite them. "I'm about to make dinner, and I could use your help."

"All right." Danny stood up and followed his mother into the kitchen. He helped her prepare dinner that night, and he was at least glad that someone else really knew what was going on in his head regarding Steve. It eased just a little bit of that burden from his shoulders, even if things wouldn't work out like his mom thought they would. But Danny was starting to actually hope that his mother wasn't wrong. He wouldn't be able to find out, of course, until he was back in Hawaii again.


	4. Conversations in Hawaii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a Friday morning, and it had been three days since Danny had gone to New Jersey. Three days since the world had been put on a dimmer switch, Steve's joy dampened by the absence of Danny like it always was whenever he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get Steve's POV in this chapter. The next chapter will have Steve POV as well.

It was a Friday morning, and it had been three days since Danny had gone to New Jersey. Three days since the world had been put on a dimmer switch, Steve's joy dampened by the absence of Danny like it always was whenever he was gone. Steve had dropped Danny off at the airport on an early Tuesday morning, and it would be a few more days before Danny came back. On Friday, Steve woke up to the alarm for his morning swim.

As he did his usual routine in the ocean, he tried not to think of Danny and imagine what Danny was up to in New Jersey. But Steve failed as usual. He aways failed when it came to not thinking about Danny too much. But he supposed that kind of came with the territory of being in love with someone.

Steve had always felt something special about Danny, but for a long time he refused to admit, even to himself, what it was. Years of hiding any attraction to men in the Navy and of generally not opening up regarding his feelings couldn't be wiped away instantaneously.

But things had been different for Steve lately. With the fallout from Catherine's second departure and the upheaval that Matty's death subsequently followed by the revelation about Charlie had caused, Steve and Danny had grown distant a year ago and had taken out some of their frustrations on each other. After the liver transplant, the distance had been erased and both men had made an effort to repair their relationship. Steve had been grateful, and like he always was when Danny did something frankly insane for him, in disbelief.

Things were good between them again, and that made Steve realize that he wanted more.

Catherine's reappearance, strangely enough, only cemented that conviction. When she revealed that Lynn had told her about the ring and said that she would have said yes if Steve had asked her to marry him, Steve felt kind of glad that he hadn't asked. A major part of the reason why Steve had made those plans was because Steve didn't want Catherine to leave him and thought that the timing was right for a proposal since they had been together a long time. His motivations weren't pure enough.

Catherine was an important part of his past, and a small part of Steve would always wonder about what could have been if things had gone differently. But Danny was his future, or at least Steve wanted him to be. That's why Steve had broken up with Lynn shortly after he came back from Morocco. He had fun with Lynn, but he couldn't see a future there, and it was unfair to Lynn to string her along while he wanted someone else.

Steve shook his head as he dried off his hair after his swim. So much for not thinking about Danny.

His cell phone, which Steve had left near his towel, rang. He squinted at the unfamiliar number and picked it up.

"Hello, this is Commander McGarrett."

The person on the other end of the phone coughed several times, and then they blew their nose. "I'm sorry to impose on you, Commander." Steve recognized the British accent immediately and felt confused. Why was Rachel calling him? "As I'm sure you can hear, I am quite ill, and I won't be able to drop Charlie or Grace off at school today." Another huge sneeze followed. "Normally, I wouldn't bother you with this, but Daniel is out of town and Stan had an important early meeting he won't be able to get out of, so I was hoping you could help."

"Of course." Steve would do anything for Danny's kids, and dropping them off at school was hardly an imposition. "Will you need me to pick them up later, as well?"

"No, that will be fine. Stan can pick them up this afternoon."

Steve nodded and mentally calculated how long it would take to get to Rachel's house. "Alright, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, Commander."

Rachel hung up, and Steve rushed to go get dressed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Steve was parking his truck in front of Rachel's and Stan's house. He quickly strode up to the doorway, and Rachel answered with Charlie and Grace standing next to her.

Steve saw that Rachel was even more sick than she had sounded on the phone. Her hair was messy, and she was wearing a robe. Steve didn't know her very well, but it didn't seem like her to not be perfectly coiffed.

She sniffled. "Well, you're here quicker than expected."

"Uncle Steve's hair is all wet!" Charlie exclaimed. Grace giggled at her brother's outburst.

Steve smiled down at Charlie. "I was just in the ocean, little buddy." Steve had barely taken the time to dry off before he went to pick up Danny's kids. He turned his attention back to Rachel. "Do you have the address for Charlie's school?"

She handed him a small slip of paper. "Grace's is the second one on the list, if you need that as well."

Steve wouldn't. He remembered the address from the incident at the winter formal.

Charlie and Grace walked around the adults to Steve's car. "I really appreciate you doing this for me, Steve."

Steve shrugged, feeling awkward for Rachel's gratitude. "It's no big deal."

Rachel smiled, but the effect was quickly ruined when she coughed again, covering it with her hand. "I suppose I better get inside, then." She directed her gaze past Steve. "Grace, Charlie, I'll see you later."

"See you later, Mom."

"Bye, Mommy!"

Rachel nodded at Steve and closed the door behind her. Steve turned around and smiled as he went to unlock his car and drive Danny's kids to their respective schools.

* * *

Steve drove Charlie to his pre-K first, since it was much closer to Stan and Rachel's house. As he drove Charlie to school, he kept up a running stream of conversation with Steve and occasionally with Grace, who was paying attention to her phone, but still responded to direct questions from Charlie.

After he dropped off Charlie, the car became much more silent, since Grace was focused on something on her phone. That was fine with Steve. His mind started to wander a little as he drove to Grace's school since he was much more familiar with the area, and it inevitably went back to what he had been thinking about during his morning swim.

Ever since the liver transplant, Steve had wanted to see if he could deepen his relationship with Danny. But he had no idea how to accomplish that, how to test the waters without potentially giving away everything. Unlike his usual tendency to jump in headfirst, Steve couldn't help being cautious about this thing with Danny. This was too important to Steve to scare Danny away because he did something outrageous. He tried to give subtle signals, like dropping him off at his sister's hotel and picking him up as well. Admittedly, his falsified confusion over the way that guy had been touching Bridget and the way he had replicated the touch on Danny later were not exactly subtle. But Danny didn't notice.

 _Maybe he didn't notice because he just thinks of you as a friend._ Steve sighed at the idea. That "pick a base" thing had given Steve a little bit of hope, but he also pessimistically considered that it may have been something Danny just said in the heat of the moment. _He didn't actually want to kiss you, dumbass._

Steve sighed again as he pulled up to a red light. "Are you okay, Uncle Steve?"

Steve glanced over at the passenger side to see that Grace had put her phone away and was looking at him in concern. The expression on her face was remarkably similar to one he had seen from Danny hundreds of times, and it just made him miss Danny even more. God, he was pathetic.

Steve grinned as reassuringly as he could. "Yeah, I'm fine, Gracie."

Grace frowned at him in the same way Danny did whenever he thought Steve was lying or hiding something. "Is this 'cause Danno's gone?"

Steve didn't say anything, just driving forward when the light turned green. A part of Steve wished he hadn't dropped Danny off at the airport. He had acted like a lovesick idiot, clinging onto Danny and not letting him go until Danny told him he would miss his flight. But he couldn't have known how much seeing Danny actually leave would hurt until it happened.

Steve knew he had been silent for too long, so he replied to Grace as he turned onto the street where her school was. "I'm okay."

"No, you're not. You're all quiet, and sad, and weird." Her next words were spoken in a solemn tone. "You really miss him, don't you?"

Steve pulled into the drop off zone and parked. He tensed his hands on the wheel and gazed over at Grace, who was looking over at him with skepticism and worry. He could see that she wouldn't go until he told her the truth, or at least part of it.

"Yeah, I do."

Grace reached forward to hug him. "It's gonna be okay, Uncle Steve. Danno will be home soon."

Steve laughed and returned the embrace. He felt as if things were backwards, like he should be the one comforting Grace instead of the other way around. "I know. I love you, Gracie."

She pulled out of the hug. "I love you, too."

Steve couldn't help smiling at that. Hearing that from Grace meant just as much to him as hearing it from Danny. "Have a good day at school, okay?"

She opened the car door. "Bye, Uncle Steve!"

"Bye Gracie!" She waved to him and then rushed off towards a friend who was being dropped off, chatting to her as she walked inside. Steve watched her until she was safely inside the school, and then he headed off to work.

* * *

An hour and a half after lunch, Steve had a free moment. He calculated the time difference in his head and realized that Danny must be off work.

"Hey, you. You miss me again?" Steve must have been imagining things, because he could have sworn that there was a flirtatious tone to his voice.

"Every day." Steve attempted to be as lighthearted as possible, even though it was the truth. He wasn't sure if it was working. During their phone call, Danny seemed to be more worried than usual. It was probably because Steve told him about how Rachel had been sick that morning, so Steve emphasized that it just seemed like a cold or the flu and not something more serious.

There wasn't much else for Steve to share about his day. Kono had taken a phone call during lunch, but it seemed kind of private since she had walked a few feet away during it, while Steve was returning to the table with shrimp. It was probably Adam or something like that.

Danny explained how the murder weapon for the case he was working had been recovered, which meant that he would probably be home within a couple of days. Steve grinned at that news. If he could learn when Danny was coming home, he might be able to pick him up at the airport, and that would give him an excuse to hug Danny once more. Steve was looking forward to seeing his partner again.

His smile disappeared when Lou appeared in the doorway. "There's some new evidence that you ought to check out."

Steve sighed, and he covered the phone with his hand. "I'll be right out."

Lou nodded and stood in the doorway. "Listen, buddy, I've got to get back to work."

"I'll let you go, then. I miss you."

Steve wished he could hold Danny right then, but he wouldn't get the chance for a couple more days. "I miss you, too." He glanced up at Lou, who was waiting for him, and decided that he didn't care if Lou heard. "Love you, Danno."

There was a slight pause, which was a bit unusual, but then he said it. "I love you, too. Bye."

Steve exhaled, trying to let go of the soaring feeling the 'I love you' gave him. Lou would understand the 'I love yous,' but he would probably question that part. Still, he couldn't help smiling like the "half-baked cookie" Danny said he was. Danny hung up, and Steve put his phone in his pocket and stood up.

Lou was snickering at him. "You two are sappier than Renée and me. And I'm actually married to her."

Steve rolled his eyes and walked towards the door. "Whatever. You said you had something?"

Lou told him about the new information he had discovered as they walked into the bullpen. For the rest of the day, Steve threw himself into work. He noticed a few odd glances passing between his co-workers and some empathetic looks directed at him as well. They seemed to be up to something, but Steve had to ignore it. He had a job to do, and he had enough on his plate as it was. He couldn't even read Danny's mind, and there was no way he could tell what Chin, Lou, or Kono were thinking.


	5. The Intervention and The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve couldn't believe that he was really about to go through with this. The plan was insane, even by his standards. It was like something out of a goofy romantic comedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly from Steve's POV, except for a tiny portion at the beginning.
> 
> I owe the ideas in this chapter to missmeagan666, who suggested this plot point in the comments for Chapter 1 of my story. Most of this story, especially the previous chapter, included things to help make that plot plausible.
> 
> There will be an epilogue to this story after this chapter.

That evening, a few minutes after dinner, Danny's parents got a phone call from someone. His mom had picked up the phone, nodding along to whatever the person on the other side said, before she gave Danny a mysterious smile and walked off to the den to finish the conversation. Danny glanced over at his father, who shrugged.

"I have no idea what she's up to, either."

Danny focused on the show playing on the screen, but he couldn't get that look on his mom's face out of his head.

* * *

Since it was a Saturday, Steve had the next day off. He'd gone for his usual morning swim and eaten some breakfast. He was planning to go surfing and getting his stuff ready for that when he got a phone call from Chin.

"Chin? What's up?"

"You need to come to the office, Steve."

Steve was about to ask why, but the phone beeped. Steve pulled it away and noticed that the call had disconnected. Steve got dressed to go to work, wondering why Chin had been the one to call him. If some work emergency came up, the governor would typically be the one to let him know.

_I guess I'll have to go there to find out._

* * *

Steve walked into the bullpen, staring at everyone who was standing around the table, waiting for him. If Chin, Kono, and Lou had been there, it would have been just a normal work day. Even Jerry's presence made sense. But he had no idea what Kamekona and Flippa were doing there, much less--

"Grace?"

"Hey, Uncle Steve."

"What are you doing here?"

"Step-Stan drove me here. He's waiting outside."

Steve shook his head, slowly making his way towards the table. Nothing was displayed on the computer screen in front of the table, of course, because Steve hadn't been called in for work.

Steve laughed nervously. "What is this? Some kind of intervention, or something?"

Chin's face was serious, but it gave nothing away. "In a manner of speaking, yes. These are for you. Consider it an early birthday present, from all of us."

He passed forward two pieces of paper. Steve read them multiple times, but he couldn't make sense of them. A plane ticket to Newark, and a hotel reservation in the same city. He looked up to see that everyone was staring at him expectantly.

"You want to send me to New Jersey?" Steve asked. "Why?"

"You need to go see Danno," Grace replied.

"Sweetie, you know he's coming back in a few days, right?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "I didn't say _I_ needed to see him. I said _you_ needed to see him."

"It's time, man," Jerry said.

Steve shook his head. He felt like everyone in the room knew more than he did, and he disliked that feeling. "Time for what?"

"Time to actually be honest for once and tell Danny how you really feel about him," Kono said. The others nodded.

Flippa gestured at Kono. "What she said."

"Maybe if you go see him, you'll stop moping around the office like someone killed your puppy," Lou said. He directed his gaze towards Chin and Kono. "I don't know how you two put up with this for so long, 'cause I've already reached my limit."

Chin shook his head. "To be honest, I'm not sure either."

"Isn't this a really bad idea, guys? I'm sure Danny would be annoyed with me just showing up out of the blue."

"He wouldn't," Grace said. "He really misses you, too."

Steve felt shocked. Danny had said he missed him, but Grace seemed so confident that he wouldn't be bothered by Steve's sudden appearance in New Jersey. Or, apparently, Steve telling him the truth about how he really felt. Which it seemed like everyone in the room knew.

Her puppy dog expression was no less effective than it had been when she was an eight-year-old. Steve was almost fully persuaded, and then Kamekona gave his input. "If you don't go on your own, I'm shoving you on the plane, brah."

Everyone laughed, and Steve held his hands up in surrender. "All right! All right! I'm going, Kamekona."

Kamekona nodded. "Good."

"What about work?" Steve asked.

"We've already called the governor, and she's agreed to give you a couple of days off," Chin explained. "All you have to do is call and confirm."

His ohana really had thought of everything. "Well, then I guess I better go home and pack."

Everyone cheered, but Steve still felt uneasy. But he was willing to go along with his ohana's plan.

* * *

Steve had called the governor, who agreed to give him the next few days off. That evening, he packed a few days worth of clothes. The earliest flight they had been able to get him was a red-eye with a layover in Los Angeles. The plane took off at midnight.

Steve couldn't believe that he was really about to go through with this. The plan was insane, even by his standards. It was like something out of a goofy romantic comedy.

He stopped packing for a moment when his phone rang with a new message. It was from Kono.

_Don't think you can get out of this, boss. You guys better be kissing by the time you get back. If you aren't, I'll lock you guys in a supply closet with tons of mistletoe. I don't care if it's not December anymore._

Steve laughed and didn't reply to Kono's text. He did bite his lip. He would have absolutely no problem kissing Danny, but he wasn't sure if that would be something Danny wanted. Regardless, he wouldn't be able to go to New Jersey and not tell Danny how he felt without risking Kono's wrath.

During the flight, he couldn't sleep. His nerves, mixed with a great deal of anticipation and excitement, wouldn't let him.

* * *

Many, many hours later, Steve had stopped by his hotel to drop off his luggage, take a quick shower, and change into some fresh clothes. That morning, Chin had sent him the address to Danny's parent's house, and he had seen the message once he had gotten off the plane and was able to check his phone.

Before Steve went to see Danny, he stopped by a local florist and picked up a bouquet of two dozen long-stemmed red roses. If he was planning to confess everything, like his ohana insisted he should, then he could at least attempt to be romantic about it.

Steve stood in front of the door to Danny's parents home, feeling anxious and out of place. Maybe the roses were too much? But during his entire ride here in the cab, Steve couldn't wait to see Danny again, give him the flowers, and tell him the truth.

After several seconds, Steve knocked on the door. An unfamiliar blonde woman who looked like she was only a few years older than Danny answered the door. It must have been Danny's sister who Steve hadn't met yet, Stella.

She tilted her head, trying to recognize him and failing. She smirked when she saw the bouquet of roses in Steve's left hand. "I didn't know _The Bachelor_ did home deliveries."

Clara appeared behind her. "Steve, you're finally here!"

Steve reached forward to catch her when she squeezed past Stella to hug him. "You knew I was coming?"

"Grace and I planned this whole thing together."

Steve nodded. "That makes more sense."

"Oh, so this is Steve. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Stella." Stella smirked again. "I'm guessing those roses aren't for me, then."

"It's nice to meet you, too. Do you know where Danny is?"

"He's at work, but he should be back in a few hours, at most," Clara said. She pushed Steve through the front door and directed him to the living room. She turned her attention to her husband, who had turned away from watching the TV at all of the commotion. "Look, honey, Steve's here!"

"I can see that." He smiled warmly at Steve. "So you must be the Navy SEAL that's in love with my son."

Steve laughed nervously. "That would be me. It's nice to meet you, sir."

Danny's father stood up from the chair. He gave Steve a quick hug, clapping him on the back. "Call me Eddie."

"Okay, Eddie."

Eddie gave Steve a long, assessing look as he sat down on the sofa, gingerly setting the flowers on the coffee table in front of him. "How long's the flight from Hawaii to here?"

"Ten hours on the plane, and I had a one-hour layover in Los Angeles."

"So you spent eleven hours traveling here just to see Daniel, and then you showed up with roses?"

Steve wiped his sweaty palms off on the knees of his cargo pants. "I did."

Eddie shook his head and shot a meaningful look at Clara before he turned to gaze at Steve again. "I approve."

Steve released a breath he didn't even know he had been holding.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Steve was starting to feel a little better. Danny's family made him feel like this was just a normal visit. Nobody mentioned why he was really there.

Clara glanced out the window when she heard a car driving down the street. "Oh, Daniel's home early!" She rushed off to the front door, and Steve, uncertain of what he should do, sat up straighter on the couch and picked up the bouquet he had brought.

Clara opened the door before Danny could knock or use his keys. "You're home early," she said.

"The case finished today, so they didn't need me anymore. Can I come in?"

Steve's heart raced when he heard Danny's voice. He had heard it over the phone, but he hadn't heard it in person for several days now.

"Sure. You know, you got a special delivery today."

"A special delivery? But I don't live here." Danny's voice sounded closer now.

"Yes, but it showed up anyway. All the way from Hawaii."

Clara led Danny into the living room and extended her arm towards Steve like she was a game show hostess.

Danny froze when he saw Steve, and Steve just drank in the sight of him. His blue eyes were blinking rapidly with shock, and they widened like saucers when they saw the roses Steve was holding. He stared into Steve's eyes and blushed.

Steve slowly rose from the couch, not wanting to spook Danny. He couldn't tell if he was happy with his surprise appearance or not. Grace's words echoed in his head. _He really misses you, too._ Grace seemed like she had been speaking with wisdom and as if she hadn't just been referring to Steve showing up out of the blue.

"Hey, Danny."

Steve's words snapped Danny out of his daze, and he moved forward, gathering Steve into his arms in an embrace tight enough to crush the roses between them. "Steve, what are you doing here? And with roses?" He pulled away, looking just as baffled as before, but he was smiling. _Thank God._

"I can explain." Steve cast his gaze around the room to see that Danny's parents and sister were watching their interaction avidly. He chuckled. "Maybe somewhere your parents and sister can't hear us?"

Danny nodded. "Let's go outside." He walked down a hallway, and Steve followed him. He opened another door and led Steve out into the backyard.

Danny walked until they were near an old oak tree. He leaned against the tree and quirked an eyebrow at Steve. "Babe, what's going on?"

Steve took a deep breath, trying to collect as much strength as he could. "First of all, these are for you."

Danny laughed and took the roses. "I figured they weren't for my mother. But why are you giving me roses?"

Danny looked so beautiful like that, holding roses and smiling, that Steve couldn't hold it in anymore. "I love you."

Danny's eyes widened again. "What?!"

Steve dragged a hand down his face. "Shit, I didn't mean to blurt it out like that. I had a plan and--"

"There was a plan to all of this?! Because I've got to tell you, Steve, this whole thing doesn't exactly scream planning."

Steve stared down at the ground. It was too hard to look into Danny's eyes. "You know what I walked into at work yesterday? Practically everyone we know, including your own daughter, handing me a plane ticket to New Jersey and telling me to quit being such a sad sack and actually tell you how I felt. So, against my better judgment, I flew here and tried to tell you, but I couldn't even do that right." Steve shook his head, realizing that he looked like an idiotic stalker. "I'm sorry I wasted your time."

Steve began to walk away, but he stopped when he felt Danny's hand on his arm. "You didn't waste my time, babe. What were you planning to tell me?"

Steve managed to look at Danny's face, which looked expectant and hopeful. It gave him enough courage to say what he did next.

"Ever since the liver transplant, things have been better between us." Danny nodded in agreement with the statement. "I don't know what it was, maybe the almost dying or things getting back to normal, but it made me realize I wanted more with you. I'm in love with you. In love with you enough to feel miserable whenever you're not around, even if it's just a few days. Enough to where everyone else probably knew how I felt long before I did. Enough to where I would fly thousands of miles on a whim because I thought you might feel the same." Steve coughed awkwardly and stared at the ground again. "That's, uh, that's what I wanted to say."

He heard Danny sniffling, and he looked up to see that Danny's eyes were wet, but he was beaming. "That was one hell of a speech. I didn't know you had that in you."

Steve shrugged. "I guess you bring it out in me."

"I love you too, Steven." Danny grinned devilishly. "Is there a chance you love me enough to kiss me?"

Steve laughed, feeling too ecstatic for words, and leaned down to kiss Danny. Steve pressed Danny against the tree, deepening the kiss, but he drew away with a frown when he heard Danny make an uncomfortable noise.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Danny giggled. "Nothing. Everything was perfect, except for the tree bark digging into my back."

"Oh, I, uh, forgot about that."

Danny snorted. "I could tell. Although, I guess I kind of forgot about something too." He waved behind Steve, and Steve turned and groaned where he saw Danny's parents and sister watching them shamelessly through the huge window in the living room.

"So, I guess there really is no privacy here?"

"Nope, they're really nosy. I guess I should have warned you about that before."

Steve shook his head. "I don't mind. If you wanted to get more privacy, I was given a hotel reservation with that ticket."

The look Danny shot Steve was pure heat. "I guess they thought of everything, huh?"

Steve licked his lips, noting with interest that Danny tracked the movement. "Yeah, I checked in a couple of hours ago."

Danny grinned wickedly. "Well, then, I guess we should go say goodbye to my parents." He grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him back into the house behind him.

When Danny entered the living room, he was a lot more awkward than he had been in the backyard. It was endearing. "Um, so, I know I just came home, but Steve's here, and, uh--"

Stella rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, if you want to leave with your boyfriend, just go."

Danny rolled his eyes in return. "Geeze, Stella."

She stood up to hug him quickly. "Nice to see you again, Danny." She nodded at Steve. "Nice to meet you, too."

Clara walked over to Danny and Steve and hugged them both. "Let us know when you're leaving, and we'll drop you off at the airport."

Eddie laughed. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Danny and Steve left for the hotel in the rental car Danny had used for his stay in New Jersey.


	6. Epilogue: The Flight Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny could listen to the insane, irrational part of him telling him to kiss Steve at an airport and no longer had to ignore it for fear of ruining everything. He could just let himself be a lovesick idiot, because Steve was just as much of a fool about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, guys! Thanks for supporting me through this story, which is the longest thing I have written for this pairing (so far). And all from a little response to a tumblr prompt!
> 
> This last chapter is in Danny's POV.

The next day, Steve and Danny had booked a non-stop flight from Newark to Honolulu. Danny's parents were there to see them off when their flight departed that afternoon.

Steve's eyes closed as soon as he had put up his suitcase and was sitting down. Danny shook his head in confusion at his partner.

"I can't understand how you can sleep on these things. You were shot in one." Danny definitely couldn't sleep on an airplane without getting a panic-induced nightmare about that event.

Steve squinted his eyes open. "Thanks for the reminder."

Danny sighed. "You know what I mean. Doesn't it bother you?"

Steve shrugged, closing his eyes again. "I guess it would, but I didn't sleep on the way over here. I was too worried about how you would react to me showing up out of the blue."

Danny winced. "And I didn't let you sleep last night."

Steve smiled and snuggled closer to Danny. "I didn't mind."

"You definitely didn't seem sleepy." Danny sighed, wistfully letting himself recall the previous night, which had been sleepless for both of them. He looked over at Steve, who was practically dozing off against his shoulder. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Let's see. I woke up at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and I haven't slept since then."

"Geeze, babe. That's more than two days straight."

Steve yawned. "I've been through worse."

Danny frowned. "It's still a lot."

"It was worth it." Steve grinned again. "I got you."

Danny curled his arm around Steve. "Sap." Steve began snoring lightly, and Danny lightly stroked Steve's upper arm. He was glad that Steve had gotten himself a few days off from the governor. He had a feeling Steve would need them just to recover from the jet lag.

Danny opened a new book that he planned to read during his flight home. He propped it up against the arm of his seat and carefully turned the pages so that he wouldn't interrupt Steve's rest.

When they touched down in Honolulu, Danny gently shook Steve's arm to wake him back up. Steve, who seemed to be feeling a lot better after his sleep on the plane, turned back on his phone and snickered at what he read. He began texting something.

"What is it, babe?"

Steve grinned. "Just telling Kono she won't need to lock us in a supply closet full of mistletoe."

Danny sighed and rubbed Steve's back. "Do I even want to know why she's asking that?"

Steve grinned. "For your own peace of mind, probably not."

Steve sent the message and turned towards Danny. "I don't need mistletoe to kiss you." He leaned down to kiss Danny, and it was even more perfect than the first time, since there wasn't any tree bark digging into his back or goofy relatives spying on him. There were a few curious people walking past them at the airport, but Danny didn't care.

"You didn't need a plane ticket or roses either, but I appreciated it." Steve smiled that mysterious little smile, which Danny had finally deciphered, and Danny stretched up to kiss Steve again. Danny could listen to the insane, irrational part of him telling him to kiss Steve at an airport and no longer had to ignore it for fear of ruining everything. He could just let himself be a lovesick idiot, because Steve was just as much of a fool about him.

Steve picked up the suitcase Danny had dropped when he gave into the irresistible urge to kiss Steve and wheeled it behind him. He turned to Danny with an adoring expression that made so much sense after yesterday. "Come on, Danno. Let's go home."


End file.
